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Joseph a Force on the Football Field
October 07, 2015 03:33 PM | Football
Today’s announcement that senior safety Karl Joseph is out for the rest of the year with a knee injury is about like saying the Bahamas ONLY got a passing rain shower last weekend.
This is Category 5 news for a West Virginia defense that was looking to rebound from last weekend’s hiccup in Oklahoma that saw the Mountaineers surrender 427 yards and 44 points to the Sooners.
For the last three years, Joseph was the heart and soul of West Virginia’s defense.
When things were going well it was usually because of something Joseph did, most likely a helmet-jarring tackle. When things weren’t going so well it’s because the other teams usually avoided where Joseph was on the field.
The thing that made Karl Joseph so special was that you didn’t have to see him to appreciate the way he played. All you had to do was open your ears and listen to the thud of the pads whenever he ran into somebody.
I usually follow our radio broadcast while watching games, and I distinctly recall a play last Saturday when Joseph came up to make another one of his big hits.
No, not the one along the sideline that nearly sent DeDe Westbrook into 2016, but rather the one Joseph put on Samaje Perine – the same 240-pound Samaje Perine who spent a good portion of last year’s game running over people.
Perine was out in the open running for first-down yardage when all of a sudden – WHACK! – Karl was there to meet him with a friendly hello. Perine went down the same way all other ball carriers who meet Mr. Joseph go down: rapidly.
West Virginia’s very talented play-by-play man, Tony Caridi, originally said KJ Dillon was the player in on the big hit before quickly correcting himself, “That was Karl Joseph on that tackle!” he said.
Eights sometimes can look like nines out on the football field, especially the way those two fly around, but only Joseph can make the distinctive sound you hear when he runs into someone – the same sound you used to hear when Tiger Woods could still hit a golf ball straight or when Hank Aaron was taking batting practice.
Yes, eyes can sometimes deceive, but never your ears.
Joseph’s Mountaineer legacy was firmly set before yesterday’s practice that saw him go down in a non-contact situation, of all things. He played an unheard of 3,388 snaps in 42 career games, which averages out to about 81 plays per game, making him the Cal Ripken Jr. of college football.
His career stat line is impressive: 284 tackles, 16½ tackles for losses, two sacks, nine interceptions, 14 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.
In four games so far this season, Joseph was leading the team with five interceptions and was second to linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski with 20 tackles.
Project those numbers over a 12-game regular season and you were likely looking at West Virginia’s 12th consensus All-American football player.
That’s the type of year he was having.
“In my 21 years of football – #8 has been the best leader and player that I've ever had the privilege of coaching,” tweeted West Virginia defensive coordinator Tony Gibson earlier today.
Now, Joseph's got to focus on healing and getting himself ready for the NFL Draft next spring. There is no doubt in my mind Karl Joseph is an NFL-caliber safety, just as there was no doubt in my mind that former Mountaineer Barrett Green was going to find a place to play in the NFL, too.
Green did, playing six years in the league with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants despite being a “tweener” – a player probably a little too small to play linebacker and a little too big to play safety. In Karl’s favor, he has a position, just as guys Karl’s size - Ryan Clark, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu – had positions in the NFL.
“I am devastated and heartbroken for Karl,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. “He is a young man who has given everything he has to our football program and University over the past four years and who elected to return to WVU for his senior season to earn his degree and to be a part of something special with this team. He exemplifies what it means to be a Mountaineer. Karl is an All-American, a fierce competitor, a leader and I know he will have a full recovery, and I can’t wait to watch him on Sundays next fall.”
To me, Joseph and Green were very similar in their physical style of play on the football field for the Mountaineers. And both were among the very best to ever play their positions.
Heal well, Karl, because everything you want in life is still ahead of you.
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